A Photograph
by muse456
Summary: Lily wakes in St. Mungo's after an attack in Hogsmede the afternoon of her graduation leaves her in a six month coma. All seems fine at first, but the presentation of a photograph proves that not all is quite right.


Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Wow, I haven't written in a while. In any case, I'm back now, and have, hopefully, improved.

Chapter 1

She heard voices. Well, slightly. They sounded far away and scratchy, like they were coming from her grandmother's television set. She tried to open her eyes, but for some reason they stayed shut. She tried harder; still nothing. Oh well, her hearing was improving, and now she could make out what the voices were saying.

"Look I know it's been six months, but aren't there any more potions you could try?" That voice sounded very familiar, an old friend perhaps?

"I don't care if you are the best Mediwitch in this hospital, this country, or in the entire goddamn world! If you don't think of something fast, Merlin help me I will curse you so bad your grandchildren will feel it!"

"Miss Vance!" Ah ha! She knew the voice was familiar. It was Emmeline Vance, her best friend since her first year at Hogwarts. She remembered Hogwarts too. The enchanted halls which were her home for seven years, the Gryffindor common room, the Heads' room where she spent her final year.

"I do not condone this behavior in my hospital! Now if you would kindly step—for the love of Merlin and Agrippa! Would you please put your wand away?!"

Now she was not a person to miss a spat between her best friend and, from the sound of it, a trained Mediwitch, so once more she tried to open her eyes. This time she succeeded. Unfortunately, the curtains around her bed prevented her from seeing anything beyond to shadows. One appeared confident with a wand stretched out before it; the other looked very close to cowering in a corner.

She quickly sat up to open her curtains, but immediately regretted that decision when a sharp sting coursed through her spine. She let out a loud groan and flopped back down on her bed. Of course as any sensible person knew, a groan let out at a noticeable volume would in turn produce the intended reaction of having persons behind the curtains open said curtains and reveal themselves.

And that was exactly what happened.

"LILY!" Emmeline screamed as she practically threw herself onto her best friend. The Mediwitch, who was certainly more composed than moments before, reassumed the role of authority and demanded that Emmeline release Miss Lily Evans before Miss Evans suffered any further injuries.

Emmeline reluctantly pulled herself away, but still kept a firm grip on Lily's hand. "Oh Merlin Lily, we all thought you were going to die, and the boys were so set on going after You-Know-Who if you did. I mean they would've anyway if Alice, Marlene, and I didn't stop them. But none of that matters because you're awake now, no thanks to _these_ people." She glared at the Mediwitch who pretended to look very interested in her clipboard.

"Whoa! Emmeline slow down," Lily said as she tried to adjust herself on her rather uncomfortable hospital bed. "How long have I been asleep anyway?"

"Well I wouldn't call it sleep. You've been in a coma for six months."

Lily's eyes widened. "But what happened, how did I get here?"

The Mediwitch was not interested in her clipboard any more. "What exactly do you remember Miss Evans?"

Lily shut her eyes and tried to think back. There was a man, she remembered, in a black shroud, but she could not see his face. He had yelled something, someone had grabbed her, and then everything went black.

"Oh dear," the Mediwitch gasped after Lily stated she could not remember anything else. "This is worse than I expected. Would you two excuse me for a moment?"

"Wait!" Emmeline called out. "Shouldn't we owl someone about this?"

The Mediwitch took one last glance at the two before answering with a tone of finality "The _only_ person who should be owled now is Professor Dumbledore. Now if you will excuse me."

She briskly walked away, the squeaks of her shoes fading away as she disappeared among the many corridors of St. Mungo's Hospital.

"Emmeline," Lily's voice shook; she was frightened. "Emmeline, what happened? Am I going to be alright?"

Emmeline sighed and stroked Lily's fiery hair soothingly. "Of course you'll be fine Lily, don't worry. You're all in one piece, and that's the important thing."

"But what happened? Why am I here?"

"We were in Hogsmede after graduation, at the Three Broomsticks when…" she covered her mouth and shook her head as tears formed in her eyes. It seemed the memory still troubled her. "Look," she continued after taking a few deep breaths. "We shouldn't talk about this, not now when you've just woken up." She quickly stood up and grabbed her bag from the foot of Lily's bed. "I'm going to owl Dumbledore, but in the mean time," she attempted a smile, "here's something to keep you company while you wait." She pulled out a folded photograph from her bag, and handed it to Lily's outstretched hand. "I'm sorry I couldn't bring the real thing, but he's been sent on a mission from the Order and won't be back till Thursday."

Lily unfolded the photograph and gazed at the two figures embracing beneath a large tree she recognized as the one by the Black Lake at Hogwarts. The two people turned to wave at her, and she immediately recognized the first one, but the second one, the boy with the unruly hair and crooked glasses, who was he? He looked very familiar, but she could not seem to place his name.

"Hey Em!" she called out before her friend completely disappeared out the door. "Who's this?"

Emmeline scurried back in and plucked the picture from Lily's hand. She looked at the photo, then back at Lily. Then one more look at the photo. "Don't tell me you've forgotten your fiancé? James Potter, you remember him don't you?" The last part she asked slowly, worry dripping from her voice.

Lily looked at her left hand, and sure enough there was a small princess cut emerald ring nestled comfortably on her ring finger. But for the life of her, she could not remember how it got there or who had put it there in the first place.

"No," she gasped "I don't."


End file.
